The Difference between Recruiter and Employer

Are you working for a staffing agency or are you the agency? Are you getting monthly compensation or are you paying the compensation? Most importantly, are you a recruiter or are you an employer?

Answering those questions could be tricky as recruiter and employer are used interchangeably from time to time. Some people might refer employer as a recruiter because the duty of an employer is also looking for and hiring talented people to fill in job vacancies. If you also think that recruiter and employer are under the same role, you need to read on because recruiter and employer are completely different entities.

See also: What Do Employers Accomplish From "Hiring Freeze”?

Recruiters vs. Employers

Recruiters are those who work to fill job openings in businesses or organisations. If you are a recruiter, you will work around resumes by actively sorting out candidates qualified for positions. But your job is more than just finding the right people. Your jobs include helping individuals prepare for interviews, assisting with resumes, managing salary negotiations, advising clients on employment issues, staying updated with labour laws, and sharing market/industry knowledge to clients. Most importantly, recruiters do not work for themselves - they work and find people for others. You might work for a staffing agency, corporate recruitment, or self-employed to fulfil clients’ needs.

In contrast, employers can be an organisation, company, institution, or individual who hires candidates to perform service under an express or implied agreement. Employers have control and rights to control employees. In addition, employers hire for themselves and not for others. They also pay compensation to their employees that might include a salary, an hourly wage, and benefits that are above the federal mandated minimum wage.

In a fine term, an employer is the highest entity or individual in an organisation that holds the power to hire and lay off employees. Employers will hire a recruiter when they need to hire someone for a specific role to help them. Recruiter, in this matter, might or might not work for an employer but they will get compensation from their clients when the targeted goals are met. To put it simply, the recruiter gets money while the employer produces money.

Recruiter’s responsibility vs. Employer’s responsibility

To give you further understanding of both roles, here are the different responsibilities of employer and recruiter.

Recruiter's responsibilities: 

Employer's responsibilities: 

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